Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on November 15, 2004.

Genetics, Vol. 169, 1379-1389, March 2005, Copyright © 2005
doi:10.1534/genetics.104.033837

Interaction Between the oxa1 and rmp1 Genes Modulates Respiratory Complex Assembly and Life Span in Podospora anserina

Carole H. Sellem, Claire Lemaire, Séverine Lorin, Geneviève Dujardin and Annie Sainsard-Chanet1

Centre de Génétique Moléculaire UPR 2167, Associated with the University of Paris-Sud 11 CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France

1 Corresponding author: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire UPR 2167, CNRS, 1 avenue de la terrasse, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
E-mail: sainsard{at}cgm.cnrs-gif.fr

A causal link between deficiency of the cytochrome respiratory pathway and life span was previously shown in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina. To gain more insight into the relationship between mitochondrial function and life span, we have constructed a strain carrying a thermosensitive mutation of the gene oxa1. OXA1 is a membrane protein conserved from bacteria to human. The mitochondrial OXA1 protein is involved in the assembly/insertion of several respiratory complexes. We show here that oxa1 is an essential gene in P. anserina. The oxa1ts mutant exhibits severe defects in the respiratory complexes I and IV, which are correlated with an increased life span, a strong induction of the alternative oxidase, and a reduction in ROS production. However, there is no causal link between alternative oxidase level and life span. We also show that in the oxa1ts mutant, the extent of the defects in complexes I and IV and the life-span increase depends on the essential gene rmp1. The RMP1 protein, whose function is still unknown, can be localized in the mitochondria and/or the cytosolic compartment, depending on the developmental stage. We propose that the RMP1 protein could be involved in the process of OXA1-dependent protein insertion.




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